Notes from the Wine Cellar

English philologist and literary critic George Saintsbury (1845–1933) became famous for his book on alcoholic beverages. "Notes from the Wine Cellar" (1920) is a description of the collection he gathered and an encyclopedia of alcohol available in Britain in the second half of the 19th century. Saintsbury details the merits and shortcomings, traditions of consumption, peculiarities of the production and storage of sherry and madeira, port and whiskey, claret and champagne, Burgundy, Rhine, and Moselle wines, ciders, beers, etc. As a true gourmet and literary scholar, Saintsbury not only compares drinks with each other but also provides mentions of them in world literature. The love for good books and the passion for good wine, according to the author, complement each other and are qualities that distinguish a true gentleman.